DOC // Moldova completely withdraws from Commonwealth of Independent States: denunciation decrees promulgated, published in Official Journal

The promulgation decree, signed by President Maia Sandu, and the law on the denunciation of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Protocol to the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS have been published in the Official Journal and have entered into force.

Contacted by MOLDPRES, the spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Tatiana Barac, specified that, after the publication of these documents, the ministry would officially notify the CIS, and the agreements will cease to produce effects upon the expiration of a 12-month period.

On April 2, the parliament voted, in final reading, for the denunciation of the CIS Establishment Agreement and the CIS Statute. The withdrawal process was initiated by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which said that the core values and principles of the CIS were no longer respected, especially with regard to territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. The authorities refer to the actions of the Russian Federation in the region, including the war against Ukraine and the illegal military presence on the territory of Moldova.

The CIS Establishment Agreement was signed in December 1991 by 11 former Soviet states, including Moldova, with the role of confirming the end of the USSR and creating a framework for regional cooperation.

Following the denunciation, Moldova will save around 3.1 million lei annually, an amount that was previously directed to the CIS budget. The relations with member states will continue on bilateral and multilateral bases, and the country will remain a party to certain agreements, particularly in the economic and social fields.

So far, Moldova has denounced approximately 70 agreements with the CIS, as part of the process of harmonizing its legislation and aligning with European Union standards.